Balancing cover support



F- C ASCHBURNER. BALANCING COVER-SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, I920.

Patentd. Aug. 1, 1922.

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. an m FREDRICK G. ASCHBURNEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 WILLIAM H. ASCHBURNER AND ONE THIRD TO ERNEST F. ASCHBURNER.

BALANCING COVER SUPPORT.

Application filed June 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F REDRICK C. AsoH- BURNER, a citizen of the'United States, a resident of Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Balancing Cover Supports; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full-and clear description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thelspecification.

My invention relates more particularly to a flexible or jointed support in which springs or friction are utilized to balance the weight imposed upon the support in any adjusted position. In supporting a horizontal hinged member, cover, or the like in adjusted positions the vertical load component varies according to the distance the cover is opened. This is wellillustrated in opening a hinged phonograph cover as shown in the drawing in which the vertical load. component is greatest when the cover is closed and decreases as the cover is raised. In my preferred construction, my invention contemplates th use of coil. spring in a joint or joints and these springs are wound up as the cover is lowered and unwound as the cover is raised, and the increase or decrease of the tension of the spring is substantially proportional to the increase or decreaseof the moment of force of the weight computed according to its supporting leverage so that the cover may be held. balanced at any desired point. In thepast, friction means has been employed for such a purpose but the same has not proved satisfactory, where there is a varying load of any consequence as, the friction means would have to be clamped sufliciently tight to sustain the greatest load making the operation of the cover or, lid rather dificult and further under such. circumstances, the friction means would quickly wear and become inoperative, since it must support the weight. But

under different circumstances I may employ a friction joint as will hereinafter be decribed. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a jointed supporting means for a lid or cover in which tension or friction means are utilized to balance the lid or cover.

It is further an object of my invention to .Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1', 1922.

1920. Serial No. 390,489. 1

provide spring means for a supporting joint that varies in proportion to the sustained load and supporting leverage.

It is also an object of my invention to construct a cover support which is simple, coinpact, durable, and efficient.

Other objects and advantages not now enumerated will be more apparent from the following description and disclosure.

My invention is more fully described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a phonograph cover. showing the jointed supporting means upon one side.

Figure 2 is a section similar to Figure 1 showing the lid raised and held in supporting balance. 7

Figure 3is a section through my improved jointed support showing the structure of the coil springs.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.& of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section onv the line of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the middle joint. 7

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a vdetail illustrating a modification.

As shown in the drawings:

For the purpose of illustration I have shown a phonograph lid or cover supported by my improved support, but it should be understood that my device is applicable for supporting any hinged lever or member.

And while I have shown a load compensating spring .in but the lower and middle joints, it is obvious that either one of the two springs may be omitted if the tension of the remaining one is designed with reference to the total load to be supported. In accordance with the foregoing, the reference numeral 1 represents a hinged cover or member which is supported by means of a pair of jointed levers2 and 3. Thelever 2 is pivotedat its upper end to a clip 4 which is secured to the inner or under surface of the member 1; the other end of the lever 2 is pivotally secured upon a stub shaft 5-in a reduced portion-thereof. Adjacent the reduced portion, the shaft 5 is provided with a polygonal portion 6, upon which the lever 3 is non-rotatably'secured, at one end, the opposite end of lever 3 is I ing springs, one at the Circumferentially flanged rotatable, mounted upon a reduced portion of a shaft or lug 7 which is non-rotatably secured by means of a polygonal portion 8 to a clip 9 secured upon a stationary support 10 which in the present instances rep- I the floor of a phonograph box.-

resents While I have only shown a single supporting device it is contemplated that a second one may be used on the opposite side, and intermediate ones if desired' In the present embodiment of my invention I have illustrated two load compensatmiddle joint and the other at the lower joint. The spring 11 at the middle joint is coiled around the nonrevoluble shaft 5; one end of said spring being secured in an aperture 12 in the shaft 5 while the other end is secured in an aperture 13 in the lever 2. The spring 14 at the lower joint is coiled around the shaft 7 5 and one end of this spring is fastened in an aperture in the shaft 7 while the other end is fastened to the lever 3 at the point 15. cap members 16 and 17 fit over the respect'iveshafts 7 and 5 and house the springs. Each vof the cap members having a cut out portion on the edge of the flange thereof to fit the levers 2 and 3, screw bolts 18 are screwed into threaded bores in theends of the shafts 5 and 7 to secure the shafts inplace and the cap. members on the shafts. The upper end of the lever 3 has preferably an inturned shoulder 19, which engages the lever 2 when the-same is brought into substantial. alignment with said lever 3 andthus prevents further relative movement of the levers.

. In Figure 7 I have illustrated a modification of my device which may beused under certain circumstances, and 'as' shown a base or clip '20 is secured to a stationary .support.

A lever 3? is'rotatably mounted upon a ournal bolt 22 which is supported in the base 20. Thislever 3? has a circular spring housing 21. integral therewith through which the bolt 22 extends,- a spring 2&- is'coiled around said'bolt within the housing and compressed therein by means of a head 23 fitting in the circular housing 21 and retained therein by means of the adjustable nuts 25 and loclrnut 26. This modification differs from my 'aforedescribed preferred form in that the said spring housings are integral with the. levers and that the levers are held by friction: and not by the action of spring, the spring 2a being I free in the housing'21 and utilized merely for keeping the lever 3 in frictional engagement with the stationary parts that support it.

In cases where the weightof the hinged member is. not ap preciable'to any great extent or where it is otherwise arranged,"in a vertical frame for example, sothat its weight y is not borne by the yieldable joint, such a friction joint as illustrated in my modification may be used.

Operation.

While the operation of the parts of my invention are clearly apparent from the above description and disclosure, it will only be necessary to state that in the preferred form of my invention the springs 11 and 14 are both wound around their respective shafts to a certain extent as the lid member 1 is lowered from a raised position such. as is shown in Figure 2 to the position as shown in Figure 1. This winding of the springs produces a tension which increases as the lid member is lowered and the tension is suflicient at any point to hold the hinged lid or member at that point. For as the vertical load component of the hinged. member increases as the lid is lowered so the resisting tension of the springs 11 and 14 likewise increases; in this manner the springs lland 1d are what might be called compensating springs. And if for some reason. there should arise at any time a slight difference between the resisting force of the springs and the vertical load component of the hinged cover or member,

be tightened to apply a certain amount of frictional resistance between the levers and the screws 18 can 7 friction, when it is desired to raise or lower the lid or hinged member while in my preferred form it is only necessary to apply a slight force to the lid or'hinged member to over-balance the force of the resisting springs. This is a decided advantage of my preferred construction for. the springs assist in raising the hinged member and'in lowering the hinged member, only a slight force is required to beadded to the hinged member to overbalance the resisting force of thespringsl I It will thus be seenthat'l have provided an improved yieldable support in 'whi ch a spring'may be utilized to a fine advantage to hold a horizontally hinged member in ad justed position and which'lends itself to the adaptation of friction means incases where it is desired to use the sameand which is also simple and neat in construction but nevertheless strong and durable for the functions for which it is designed.

I am aware that numerous details of con]- struction may be varied through Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1, In a device of the class described, a stationary support, a lever, a spring for yieldingly anchoring said lever to said support, a second lever, means comprising a spring for yieldingly securing said second lever on the free end of said first member and a hinged member pivotally supported by said second lever.

2. A yielding support comprising a shaft, a lever rotatably mounted on said shaft, a coil spring connected to said lever and anchored to said shaft, a second shaft non-rotatably connected to the end of said lever, 21- second lever rotatably mounted on said second shaft, a coil spring surrounding said second shaft and anchored thereto and also 20 EARL M. HARDINE, CHARLES W. HILLs, Jr. 

